Quote:It’s PAX 2015, and while Fusionx is on location (no doubt adding yet another “I Defeated…” shirt to his collection), I’ve taken it upon myself to cover the XIV-related attraction, Koji & Soken’s Wild Ride, a combination music and lore panel featuring Localization Lead / Co-World Creator Michael-Christopher Koji Fox and Sound Director Masayoshi Soken as they explore the lore behind various songs and explain their creation process. A summary can barely do the panel justice, but if you can’t watch it for yourself, we’ve got you covered.


Koji Fox, technically on vacation, was the first to come out, explaining that he originally worked with Masayoshi Soken on Mario Hoops 3-on-3 and with Nobuo Uematsu at Distant Worlds and, eventually, on Answers for FINAL FANTASY XIV. He figured that he’d eventually get used to working with Uematsu-san, but is still nervous every time. This was especially true for Dragonsong, as his mind kept wandering to the lyrics to Land of the Lost when the deadlines were already looming.

Both Answers and Dragonsong are from Hydaelyn’s perspective, Koji confirms. In Answers, the wandering races are lamenting their existence and how life is so hard, while Hydaelyn is explaining that suffering leads you to understand who you are and what role you will play. This is contrasted in Dragonsong, where Hyadelyn doesn’t understand why her children have let the circumstances of the Dragonsong War become what they have. The contents of the songs in the game are, indeed, canon, so keep speculating based on the lyrics – some do have deeper meaning.

At this point, Soken joined the panel with Aimi on translation, making fun of Koji for being here on vacation while he (Soken) was doing appearances in four cities. He also said that the panel will be themed Hellsward based on their workload – 4 primal songs, 100 sound effects, 500 voices, and more in a matter of weeks. The main boss of Hellsward, of course, was Naoki Yoshida

RAVANA

Because many of Ravana’s moves are dance-like and he’s accompanied by butterflies, Soken got the idea to make the song include a waltz be reminiscent of the powerful music in Jidaigeki cinema (Western-like samurai movies seen in Japan). When Koji was first brought the music for Ravana, he banged out the basics of the Gnath’s language in about a day so they could be used for lyrics. However, Yoshida felt that the music would be better for Alexander, so Koji was given a new song to work with. The idea came about to use a Japanese tenor, but he couldn’t do the Gnathic language so they used Dragonspeak. Unfortunately, that singer’s schedule was too full, so the lyrics were re-written again in English (and, fun fact, sung by the Localization lead of FFXV. This singer didn’t like his own voice, but Soken was able to bribe him with promises of auto-tuning).

BISMARCK

Soken found working on Bismarck more difficult than usual – it went through 12 iterations. He wanted it to make sure it was exhilarating because it was an airborne battle against a huge enemy. Again, Koji worked on lyrics … until this song, too, was repurposed to be the other song in Alexander. (There was also an unfortunate incident where Koji spent a few days writing lyrics to the wrong instrument after Soken gave him a version lacking the intended melody).

ALEXANDER

The original Ravana and Bismarck songs were revised to fit the new theme, though some traces did carry over. Koji admits that some of the lyrics to the song heard in the first three areas are now thematic of Alexander but not necessarily meaningful. For instance, the use of 72323 is completely random – it has no hidden link. (Yet…) For the fourth area, the song is called Metal and features a lot of Gobbiespeak. Goblins used to be much worse at Eorzean (English); there were few goblins so they had time to play with the language. In Heavensward, however, there are so many goblins that they’ve had them become better linguists to reduce the workload (perhaps they read up on it in Sharlayan). The panel concluded with a surprise, impromptu performance of Metal, though the crowd was shy about joining in at first and technical difficulties with the stream necessitated that the song be started over again.

Quote:Children of the land do you hear

Echoes of truths that once rang clear

Two souls intertwined

One true love they did find

Bringing land and heavens near

But flames that burn full bright, soon fell dark

Memories dimmed by shadowed hearts

In the waxing gloom did wane the lover's moon

Watching as their worlds drift apart

One soul's cry

A passion dwelling within

Sacrifice, a final plea to her kin

Yet this bond of hope, by treachery was broke

Scattering her words to the wind

Swelling over long,

seas of blood, are a song

And death an afterthought

To those who fight for naught

A throne, lying empty

A reign, incomplete

Alone, for eternity

A pain, without cease

Children of the land, answer this

Why must you turn to empty bliss

Tell me why break trust, why turn the past to dust

Seeking solace in the abyss

Tell me why create, a circle none can break

Why must you let go, the life you were bestowed

This I fear I'll never know

Never know

Quote:The lyrics below are for the full version, with the 'cut' lyrics highlighted in red.

Quote:I close my eyes, tell us why must we suffer
Release your hands, for your will drags us under
My legs grow tired, tell us where must we wander
How can we carry on if redemption's beyond us?

To all of my children in whom Life flows abundant
To all of my children to whom Death hath passed his judgement
The soul yearns for honor, and the flesh the hereafter
Look to those who walked before to lead those who walk after

Shining is the Land's light of justice
Ever flows the Land's well of purpose
Walk free, walk free, walk free, believe...
The Land is alive, so believe...

Suffer (Feel) Promise (Think) Witness (Teach) Reason
(Hear) Follow (Feel) Wander (Think) Stumble (Teach) Listen
(Speak) Honor (Speak) Value (Tell) Whisper (Tell) Mention
(Hope) Ponder (Hope) Warrant (Wish) Cherish (Wish) Welcome
(Roam) Witness (Roam) Listen (Roam) Suffer (Roam) Sanction
(Sleep) Weather (Sleep) Wander (Sleep) Answer
Sleep on

Now open your eyes while our plight is repeated
Still deaf to our cries, lost in hope we lie defeated
Our souls have been torn, and our bodies forsaken
Bearing sins of the past, for our future is taken

War born of strife, these trials persuade us not
(Feel what? Learn what?)
Words without sound, these lies betray our thoughts
(See what? Hear what?)
Mired by a plague of doubt, the Land, she mourns
Judgement binds all we hold to a memory of scorn
Tell us why, given Life, we are meant to die, helpless in our cries?

Witness (Feel) Suffer (Think) Borrow (Teach) Reason
(Hear) Follow (Feel) Stumble (Think) Wander (Teach) Listen
(Blink) Whisper (Blink) Shoulder (Blink) Ponder (Blink) Weather
(Hear) Answer (Look) Answer (Think) Answer together

Thy Life is a riddle, to bear rapture and sorrow
To listen, to suffer, to entrust unto tomorrow
In one fleeting moment, from the Land doth life flow
Yet in one fleeting moment, for anew it doth grow
In the same fleeting moment
Thou must live
Die
And know